Volunteer work could turn up a new job

Volunteering your services for a community cause or organization is not only a good thing to do, it could land you a good job, according to a new LinkedIn survey released today.

About 41 percent of hiring managers said a job candidate’s experience as a volunteer was as valuable as their paid work experience. Moreover, 20 percent said they have made a decision on a candidate based on their volunteer experience.

Yet only 45 percent of professionals said they included volunteer experience on their resumes because they viewed it as a personal matter or didn’t want to be seen as taking advantage of a community group for their own professional gain. And many of them just didn’t think about including volunteer service.

But there’s nothing wrong about listing doing something good for the community as a skill set, said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s connection director.

“The market is so saturated and competitive that anything you can do to differentiate yourself is to your advantage,” said Williams, who also wrote “Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success.”

LinkedIn released the results of its survey of 2,000 U.S. professionals to highlight a new field that members can add to their profiles starting today – “Volunteer Experiences & Causes.”

That extra field, or a few lines on a resume, could help someone find a job or lead to a more satisfying occupation, Williams said.

For one thing, the time spent raising money, organizing events or generally helping out a community organization can show how disciplined you can be, a trait that is attractive to an employer, Williams said.

“You’re not spending your time playing video games, you’re spending your off hours in a useful way,” she said.

Volunteering is also a good way to network and to hone skills needed for a job you’d really like, she said.

And that gets to the bottom line of doing something you’re passionate about, whether it’s in a volunteer or professional arena.

“When you’re passionate and feel like you’re making a contribution, that’s going to rub off into your every day career,” she said. “You feel better about yourself and about what you’re accomplishing and that’s a good career strategy.”